The "franchise player" debate has been settled. It's Amen.

This is exactly why only a few guys in the league should be taking midrange as their go to scoring game. It is an extremely inefficient shot and if you are the main feature of your offense like a franchise player should be, you don't want to be shooting a lot from there unless you are elite like KD and SGA.

As for the definition of midrange, I think I did that discussion with you or with someone else. the NBA definition of midrange with respect to the paint is unnecessarily artificial. When it comes to shooting, distance is the one thing you measure (which is exactly what the word "range" means), not by some rectangle painted on the floor.

 

I’m just going by the NBA definition since that’s how they measure and account for that stat on their site. I don’t expect him to be elite but if he can go 3-4 midrange FGA a game at at 44-45% that’s good enough. A dribble pullup at the FT line is a mid range shot. Almost all guards have this move and certainly the better ones. He needs one badly to keep defenders guessing whether he’s driving or pulling up.

 

Nah I disagree. Watch what teams started doing to Amen, they literally stand away from him because nobody cares if he shoots. Letting him shoot anywhere that isn't the rim is a guaranteed strategy to destroy our offense. He could change it, but right now that's a fact. The guy is one of the worst shooters ever at his draft position. His numbers aren't just "weak shooter" level they're "this guy's lucky he's super athletic or he'd legit have no chance in hell at playing professionally."

 

Amen’s midrange percentage is that bad with most teams not even bothering to contest the shot…and his 3 point percentage is significantly worse than that

all of his percentages outside the paint have to that factored in

teams literally don’t care if he shoots anything outside of like 10 feet, and his shooting is still horrific…this dude will have a wide open three with all the time in the world to take, and still airball

airball or brick so bad if the ball hit somebody’s head they’d have to enter concussion protocal

 

yep. They played more ISO late in the year and playoffs which he had some success. They also gave him more high screens and DHO’s. He can get to the paint but he often doesn’t finish layups for some reason. He hasto learn to not just use speed but control and deceleration etc.

 

This is not true. They don’t just passively camp in paint or away. They guard him from the perimeter often and especially on high screens.
Here’s his 41 pt performance against wolves in April

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CF...eamID=1610612745&flag=3&sct=plot&section=game

 

Sorry dude, this really does come across as spin more than anything else. Amen already takes way more of those shots than he's supposed to, because teams actively encourage him to do so. Why are we bringing up Giannis (somebody who literally had teams counting him down at the FT line because he's a trash shooter) who Amen is not remotely like because he's not 7ft tall, and then a bunch of players who either didn't, or barely played in the modern Moreyfied era? The data doesn't prove anything, it's just noise to the discussion. I've posted his shot charts compared to league average RIGHT NOW, and he's trash across the board unless it's right beneath the basket. Players who shoot 10% better from midrange than Amen should not be shooting the shot, Amen is worse than that by MASSIVE amounts.

 

Wrong thread

 

I love Amen, but this is true. He's one of the worst shooters in the NBA, and other teams know it.

 

I do think his comp is short Giannis. This issue is the Rockets playing him at guard.

 

And that he's only 6'7

 

Yeah people really need to actually watch prime Giannis on the drive and realise that the height difference is ALL the difference. Amen might be able to jump out of the building, but he's VERY stoppable on the drive. Prime Giannis is literally unguardable on the drive, I don't even think Wemby could stop it because he'd get knocked into next week. The size, strength and sheer ferocity difference is astounding when you look side by side.

 

no it’s not true. They may sag off if he’s in the corner 3 area or when they play zone but when they’re in man or matchup zone they guard him full court, on the perimeter or FT line. Please watch video above. Or below in a MAR game vs Miami

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&ContextMeasure=FGA&EndPeriod=0&EndRange=28800&GameID=0022501027&PlayerID=1641708&RangeType=0&Season=2025-26&SeasonType=Regular Season&StartPeriod=0&StartRange=0&TeamID=1610612745&flag=3&sct=plot&section=game

 

After a pretty "meh" summer this video has me excited for next season. Amen, Alpy, Reed, Bari and even Tari should all be at least incrementally better with Amen, Reed and Bari taking bigger steps. Even without a Wemby-level player we're honestly in good shape roster-wise. We just need one more volume 3pt shooter to really open things up offensively. I'm actually more worried about coaching than anything else.

 

Y'all talking about midrange like this is 1998 and it's a relevant shot in 2026. It's not. If your franchise guy can't effectively shoot the 3 it's going to be a struggle. This is why every guy in the top 25 of the NBA minus GA who is a unicorn can shoot the 3.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/s/nU9OKvLvk7

This would be more acceptable if we had 5 out spacing. Or Sengun or Amen being at least a semi threat from outside.

Rockets aren't winning **** if teams are able to deploy a defense like this and the coach is too stupid to make an adjustment of just having Amen set a real screen and then there being no defender able to step up.

 

Thank you for putting this better than I obviously have so far. This is what I was trying to say with "unless you're shooting at Durant levels you shouldn't shoot the middy, so Amen's 'improvement' there is mostly worthless at the level he improved." If you can't shoot the 3, and you're not 55% from midrange then you actually have to be a Shaq/Giannis level of dominant big man. Amen isn't. Athletic as ****, not remotely overpowering on offense.

Edit: Actually Ben Simmons is probably the best comp Amen has. Though Simmons was a significantly better playmaker in those few years he was somewhat of a decent player.

 

That was all on Amen. He had a FT line pullup jumper or an open corner 3. He decided to do a DHO with no bump on the defender. That’s why we call it read and react. He didn’t read or react right. He was passive most of the year and deferred to Sengun and KD but we saw a late explosion from him and in the playoffs which makes me hopeful

 

Plenty of the top guards and players are shooting midrange shots at 4-5 shots a game in low to mid 40’s (Edwards, Brown, maxey etc) a dribble pullup game is important for guards and we have seen a resurgence of mid range shots last few years.